Wests Tigers' off-field turmoil is unlikely to cost them a shot at an experienced CEO, with several seasoned operators still open to being the club's next potential saviour.
Tigers owners will this week ramp up planning for life after Shane Richardson, following the veteran administrator's high-profile exit as chief executive on Monday.
Richardson's departure has left the Tigers without a chair or CEO, after owners the Holman Barnes Group dismissed Barry O'Farrell and three other independent directors from the board last week.
Their exits have also prompted fears over the futures of Jahream Bula and Jarome Luai, who both have options to leave the NRL club at the end of next season.
But at this stage there are no concerns the Tigers' political turmoil could cost them a seasoned campaigner being in charge of the club.
It is anticipated former Central Coast Mariners boss Shaun Mielekamp could be appointed interim CEO after his recent elevation to Tigers head of football.
Mielekamp was the Mariners CEO for nine years, taking them from the bottom of the ladder to back-to-back champions while also bringing Usain Bolt to the A-League.
He is one of three leading contenders in the frame to take on the role permanently, alongside Tony Mestrov and Ryan Webb.
Mestrov is due to finish up as Manly boss next Friday and is a free agent, while Webb has been assisting Perth Bears since finishing as St George Illawarra CEO in May.
Ex-Penrith CEO Brian Fletcher has also been floated as another option after announcing he was retiring when he left the Panthers earlier this year.
Crucially for the Holman Barnes Group, any of the leading contenders in Mestrov, Webb and Mielekamp would be well adept at the off-field challenges that loom.
Mestrov himself walked into the Sea Eagles at their lowest ebb in 2022, beginning his tenure in the days after the club's Pride Jersey saga.
The former front-rower's stint in charge was headlined by Daly Cherry-Evans' exit this year, but also included a significant increase in crowds and commerical returns.
Manly's political issues are arguably the most comparable to the Tigers in the NRL, given the Sea Eagles have cycled through six CEOs in just over 11 years.
Webb also has previous experience and relationships at the Tigers after serving as chief operating officer between 2015 and 2019.
He then spent more than five years in charge of a joint-venture at the Dragons, where he brought in Shane Flanagan as coach and secured a new high-performance centre.
Mielekamp is lesser known to rugby league fans but there is a push for him to take over as the most credentialled option already at the Tigers.
He too faced ownership changes at the cash-strapped Mariners, but helped turn the club into a development powerhouse with its academy.
Mielekamp joined Tigers as head of community in 2024 and has previous rugby league experience in off-field roles at Penrith and South Sydney.
The Tigers board are also scheduled to meet next week when their new structure will be discussed given just two Holman Barnes Group directors and one Balmain representative remain.
